Exercising When Sick: Should You Skip a Workout?

-
by Andrea Dietrich, B.Kin, CSEP-CPT, Fitness & Training Coordinator, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba

It’s not your imagination – more and more of your colleagues are getting the sniffles. It’s just that time of year again. Cold and flu season is upon us, and we have provided a few ways to help you determine whether to lace up your shoes or stay home and rest.

Cold or Flu?

Determining whether you have a cold or the flu is an essential first step, not only for exercise prescription but also treatment. The Public Health Agency of Canada provides a fact sheet to help determine whether you have a common cold or have picked up the flu (Click the image for more information).
Cold or Flu - Public Health Agency of Canada

The “Above the Neck” Rule

Once you’ve determined it’s not the flu, it’s time to do a neck check. A cold will typically last 1-2 weeks. If your symptoms are “above the neck” such as sneezing, stuffy sinuses, or a sore throat, the good news is you should be just fine to work out. Though, if you do decide to hit the gym, make sure you’re cleaning any and all equipment after use to prevent others from getting sick.
If you’re experiencing aching muscles and fatigue, you can work at a lighter intensity or skip the gym all together until you recover. If the cold is below the neck and you can’t quite cough it out, we recommend you stay home and hydrate.

What if I have the flu?

The flu generally lasts for 2-3 weeks, with the more severe symptoms lasting approximately 3-7 days.
If you’re experiencing a fever, please stay away from public spaces, including the gym. Stay home until your fever breaks and has been down for at least 24-hours. Again, the flu is usually accompanied by aches and chills, and it’s recommended that you stay out of the gym for health and safety reasons.
With certain gyms, you have access to a sauna, and it’s tempting to try and sweat your cold or flu out; however, we strongly recommend against doing so as this could exacerbate your systems and make your symptoms worse.
When you’re ready to return to the gym, start with a lighter intensity workout and ease back into your regular routine if you’re feeling closer to 100%.

In Summary

Start by determining if you have a cold and use the neck rule as a general guideline. If you’re able to get a workout in, be respectful of others and clean the equipment thoroughly. If you have the flu, stay home and get some rest.
Here are some other great resources on prevention, symptoms, and treatment of the flu and the common cold. The Flu – The Common Cold.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Squatting knees over toes

-
Image
Debunking a popular myth For many years one of the primary cues given when teaching a squat was to keep the knees behind the toes because of the increased shear force it created on the knees. Is that still true? Will your knees explode if they pass the toes? Is it safe? Yes, having your knees past your toes while squatting is safe.   This common myth has been proven wrong by research in recent years. While the knees moving forward does increase the horizontal force at the knee, limiting the forward movement of the knees can put more stress on the lower back and increase the risk of injury. Limiting the forward movement of the knees during squats can increase the risk of injury because it can cause a compensatory movement pattern, such as improved trunk flexion, that puts more stress on other areas of the body, such as the lower back or the hips. When the knees cannot move forward, the hips and lower back must compensate by taking on more load. This can lead to poor form and increas...
Read more

Functional fitness to help you stay at your best longer

-
Image
Effects of Functional Strength Training on Functional Movement and Balance in Middle-Aged Adults Introduction: As we get older, our strength often decreases due to changes in our nervous system and loss of muscle tone, making daily activities harder. However, strength training can help by: Reducing the effects of aging on the neuromuscular system. Decreasing body fat. Maintaining muscle mass, bone density, and muscle strength. Traditional vs. Functional Strength Training: Traditional strength training (TST) builds muscle size and strength but doesn't always improve our ability to perform everyday tasks. Functional strength training (FST), on the other hand, focuses on enhancing strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination to improve daily activities. FST is gaining popularity among athletes, middle-aged adults, older individuals, and cardiac patients because it improves health, aids in weight control, and enhances the ability to perform daily tasks. Study Overview: This study u...
Read more

Do masks affect exercise?

-
Image
By Adam Toffan, M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS,  CSEP-CEP , Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator, UM Recreation Services Aside from potential discomfort, does wearing a mask affect our exercise? That is the question I want to cover this week — and recent studies are shedding more light on the subject. Wearing a mask is a recommended way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Studies show that medical-grade masks and unvented N95 masks reduce aerosol particle emission from the wearer by 90 and 74 percent, respectively. (The efficacy of cloth masks was less clear.) Data from the American Society for Microbiology shows that cotton, surgical, and N95 masks protect against droplet spread, with higher protection when masks were worn by virus spreaders. As expected, N95 and other respirator masks were most effective, but cloth face coverings did have some benefit. Since mask use became mandated (including donning a mask while exercising in gyms), some people have raised concerns of potential...
Read more